He said: “It is a special game for me, I love the people in Southampton. For me it was a big step to come from Spain, and the way they treated me and my family and my staff was fantastic. I love them and they will be a special club for me.”

It was the Saints who offered Pochettino the chance to impress in English football, bringing him over from Spain in January 2013, to replace Nigel Adkins.

It was considered a strange move at the time due to the South Coast club impressing under Adkins, but the former Argentine international made the team even better under his guidance.

It was his work with Southampton that forced Spurs to take a chance on him, and since his arrival last summer, he has restructured the Tottenham squad into a side who are realistic competitors at the top of the Premier League.

However, he will always remain grateful to Southampton for giving him the chance to first manage in England, and his reputation and career have benefited from the Saints taking a punt on a virtual unknown to those who follow English football.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.